“God, it’s gonna be via video. I then went into panic overdrive.”
Snapshot
Carmen Beyxer is Employee Relations Manager at a UK logistic business. She was invited to take part in a video interview to share her experience of a leadership development programme she’d recently completed. It was her first time on camera in a professional context – and she nearly said no.
The Challenge
Carmen had little to no experience of being on video in a professional context. Her immediate reaction when asked to take part was a familiar one. Her first instinct was to try to control the situation: “I need to be in control of this, I need to be knowledgeable of it, or I need to know what questions you’re going to ask me.”
Underneath that was something even more universal – the discomfort of seeing and hearing yourself: “There’s the natural piece of seeing yourself and hearing yourself which nobody likes because you look at all your flaws and you hear all your flaws.”
The Decision to Do It
What shifted things wasn’t a pep talk or a set of preparation notes. It was a deliberate choice to trust herself.
Rather than asking for the questions in advance, Carmen decided to go in without them – because she realised that trying to over-prepare would get in the way:
“I thought, do you know what, you’re not going to see the best me if that’s what I’m going to be like because I’m not going to come across as natural, I’m not going to come across with integrity.”
She also gave herself quiet permission to let go of having to be perfect: “You need to get over yourself and just get on it… look at what actually the benefit of this process is bringing.” Not a dismissal of the nerves – more a recognition that the nerves didn’t have to win.
The process helped too. Carmen noted that how it was handled made a real difference:
“The information was transparent at all times… each step of the way was clearly communicated.”
Having the option to know the questions – without being pushed either way – meant she could make her own call about what felt right for her.
What She Discovered
Once she was in the conversation, Carmen found it easier than expected – and understood why. The interview wasn’t a test or a performance. It was a conversation about her own experience, on a subject she genuinely cared about:
“I was coming from a place of… I can talk with passion about it, I believe in it, it aligns with me so it’s easier to talk about.”
This, she reflected, is what actually makes someone credible on camera – not polish or preparation, but genuine belief in what they’re saying:
“If you’re talking about you more as the person and your journey, it’s much easier for you to talk about and that’s where you come across much more credible and much more engaging.”
The Impact
When Carmen watched the video back, she found something she hadn’t expected – a chance to recognise how much she’d actually taken from the programme. Seeing herself speak about her own journey made the value of the experience more real:
“When I started listening about the content, I was like, well, yeah, I can understand why this is valuable to do.”
The reflection itself turned out to be worthwhile – separate from the video. As Carmen put it, being asked to talk through her journey gave her space to realise how far she’d come:
“Definitely worth going through that process.”
And the anxiety about being on camera? By the end, it had quietly resolved itself:
“I definitely would have the confidence to do it again. That wouldn’t concern me.”
